Trending
To the editor:
To my East Liverpool friends and classmates: whenever we are going to have company, as our mothers taught us, we need to clean our house to get ready.
Lou Holtz is probably the most famous of our visitors and on May 21, 2022, a bronze bust of him was unveiled at the East Liverpool High School, along with a barbeque dinner in the cafeteria. Five were inducted into the Hall of Fame: Hans Dietz, Robert Herrington, Dru Joyce, Mike Turk and Bob Duffy.
It would be nice if we could house clean our little pottery town. Maybe some high school students could clean the Broadway Wharf, instead of working on their telephones all day. The picnic tables there could be painted, then maybe the Gateway Clipper Fleet would visit us.
Wouldn't it be nice if Mr. Newbold would have the old YMCA torn down? It is such an eyesore and that area could be made into a lovely little park for the clock tower. Pop Warner from the YMCA taught almost everyone to swim and I was one of them. After he went off duty, Jane Kata, Dolly Youst, Grace Jackson and myself would turn off the lights, take off our suits, and jump back into the water naked. It was delicious. Then we went to Brady's Coffee Shop for dinner, then to the Ceramic Theatre and catch the last Valley Motor Transit Bus for home.
Wouldn't it be nice if the Traveler's Hotel was donated to Kent State University for a sleeping dorm for students and that little bank next to it made into a HiTeen for the young people like we enjoyed?
It would also be nice if the City Hospital would reopen the snack bar and hospitality center. I heard they were going to do away with the valet parking. What a shame.
The individual classes will try to put their class's memorabilia in the windows but unless the owners of the storefronts would clean them, this will be impossible.
The flower planters will be taken care of by the East Liverpool Garden Club, but hopefully the streets could be cleaned and maybe a painting could be done.
The ELHS class reunion will start June 30, 2022, and many former residents will come home. Beaver Local will also be having their reunion at the same time and many of them will come down to East Liverpool.
Our attractions are few now. The Ohio River is always beautiful. Can you remember how pretty the East Liverpool Motor Lodge was? I chaired a Snow Flake Ball theme with Mary Eleanor Thompson and we auctioned off the Christmas trees --had a wonderful meal and danced, danced, danced. We sold the trees to the highest bidder and a lady wanted to take a picture of the one she wanted to buy. She backed up to take the picture and she fell into the pool. Wow!
When we were young, almost everyone went to church. Smith and Phillips Furniture Department Store pulled their draped on Sundays, and on religious holidays our high school had a special assembly for it, and the whole school walked once to the Trinity Church for special services.
Crucible Steel Mill closing devastated our town and there were many men out of jobs, so they left here to go to find other jobs. Ogilvie's Department Store carried everything and you could even call them and have it delivered without charge. When they moved to Calcutta and how sad for that big wonderful store. However, we will soon have a TJMaxx moving into where Penney's went out of business and that will excite us.
Brickers Store sold ice cream skyscrapers for five cents and I purchased my prom dress from Metz Fun Co. for $25.
The Jaycees seemed to sponsor everything that was fun. Ralph Finley, Bob Brewster, and Roy Blinn were so active. We had wonderful picnics at Rock Springs and at the end of every school year they gave free tickers to every student for the rides. They had a coaster called "The Cyclone" that was fabulous and on Sunday nights, many times they sponsored "Big Bands" to come in for dances.
We had Hoge's Drive In that was always packed.
Tiny Fisher had a radio station set up in front of Mike Turk's car dealership which now houses Riverview Honest(?).
The Cawood Mansion was always such a pretty spot but now ugly and sad. However one of the blessings we still have is the East Liverpool Country Club where so many proms, wedding receptions, reunions and many, many dances were held and Kay Wolfe knows everyone in town and has done a great job there for 45 years--wow!!
When you're traveling through the class reunion and you see a fellow with a "Potters" jersey in, I would be happy if you would take a minute and tip your hat to him out of respect to someone who has been an outstanding civic leader. Frank Dawson wanted to play football so bad but wasn't big enough so he settled for manager/trainer. He has supported the Potters Football program in every way he could. He takes the whole team to his home and his beautiful wife Gretchen feeds them-- provides transportation for them and does much much more that I can't mention. Just please take time to tell him "thanks".
I was so impressed with the way Columbiana looked that I set out to raise money for lights for our town, to be put up before the reunion. Jeff Kreefer, our local councilman will start that project soon. Thank you to all the people that contributed to that project. Thank you, Jeff.
Well, my friends, as Fred Miller cleans his barn to get ready for his son's wedding, would you please be willing to put forth a little effort to help clean up our pretty little town?
We have an energetic young mayor who needs the help of all of us.
Thank you so much,
Gini Jackson,
ELHS Class of '49